by Liddie Cain
Tears immediately clouded my eyes and spilled across my lashes. He wiped my cheeks gently as he continued. “You can figure out the rest, probably. I pushed you away from me thinking you would move on and have a happy life and became a vampire so Gavino wouldn’t harm the ones I loved.”
“I’ve hated you for almost a decade.”
“I’ve hated myself for it, too. I was naive. It was an empty threat. Gavino would have been obliterated if he had done anything so out of line with someone who worked with the government. He just bullied me into getting what he wanted. But thankfully, he wasn’t the one who made me. Felix did it; he was also heavily involved since the Imperium Capital was coming to his dominion. It didn’t take Felix long to realize what Gavino had done, and once the work was finished and the senators were leaving, Felix asked for my allegiance to him, and I was smart enough to agree.”
He swept my hair back from my face. “But what could I offer you after that? I would never give you children and had no clue when you would be able to even have a public relationship with me. Vampires were still hidden then.”
I smacked his arm with my hand and sobbed out, “That was something for me to decide, Macory!”
“I know, Dove. I have so much to ask your forgiveness for.”
I shook my head. “You already know you have it. I still love you.”
He grasped my chin, tilting my face to look at him. “And I never, ever, stopped loving you.”
I wiped at my wet face. “Oh Mac. Don’t leave again.”
He kissed me. It was tender and full of the love we had been denied over the past eight years. His absence left a void inside of me that his kiss began to fill back up in that moment. Then he leaned back to join me under the covers and wrapped me up in his arms. I laid my head on his shoulder, exhausted. I felt his lips against my forehead as I drifted to sleep.
The rest of the week passed quickly. Sylvia had brought me enough clothes for a couple of weeks then basically moved into the room that I left vacant. Darby spoke highly of her, and there were some days that she would come and hang out at the spa with us. Felix had visited every night but had not pushed me about taking his mark or where things with Mac were going. Mac and I were more affectionate but had not taken it any further than kissing. He held me every night as I slept in his big bed.
Felix visited me every day and was more than eager to get my clothes off every time he arrived. There weren’t any more instances where I saw images in my mind after the first time. I mentioned it to Mac on Thursday evening as he walked into the bedroom with me for the night. “Those visions have never occurred again since the first time. They were so vivid that day. Like it was a memory, you know? Like I knew the feelings I was having while it happened.”
“You have a sensitive mind, Dove. Maybe having that much power pass through you the first time made you pick up on someone else’s thoughts.”
“I don’t know. Felix just shrugged.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it if it didn’t happen again.”
When I woke Friday morning, I was snuggled in between both him and Felix. They both had thoughtful looks on their faces, so I could tell they were speaking telepathically to avoid disturbing me.
“Mmm, I could get used to sleeping in between the two of you.”
They both smiled. Felix caressed my cheek before giving me a sweet kiss. “Good morning.”
Then Mac ran his hand up over my hip and leaned in to also give me a kiss.
Felix remained cuddled up beside me while Mac rolled over to pick up his phone. He normally texted Arnold as soon as I woke so he could fix breakfast.
“Today is the big donor seminar,” Felix drawled out as I wiped the sleep from my eyes.
“Shit, yeah, it is. I’m kind of nervous about it.”
“No reason to be nervous about holding the most notorious event the town of Steiner has ever seen or will ever see. They are only going to be talking about it for the next several decades,” Mac teased as he continued to check things on his phone.
I groaned, turning and pushing Felix onto his back and straddling his hips with an impish smile. “I need to get ready.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “I already am.”
I laughed and tried to scoot away. He caught me and hurled me back down on the bed, burying his face into my stomach as I giggled. He eventually let me squirm across to the other side of the bed, where Mac was sitting. I crawled up on his back. He sat his phone down and stood up with me on his back. I nuzzled my nose against his ear as he walked into the bathroom with me, making him chuckle. Felix followed us in there and plucked me off of his back.
Mac turned on the shower while Felix leaned me back up against the bathroom counter, jerking the nightie I had on up and over my head. I gasped at him when he left me standing there in just panties. This was the first time Mac had seen me undressed since our breakup, and he was suddenly paying very close attention.
“You said you were nervous. I thought you needed a distraction,” Felix told me seriously. He guided me over to where Mac stood in front of the glass door of the walk-in shower and pushed me back against Mac. Felix leaned down and kissed me as Mac traced his hands up my sides and over my ribs. Just as I was starting to breathe unevenly and let out a moan, Felix drew away and Mac guided me into the shower. I turned and shot them both a glare.
Mac laughed. “Not thinking about being nervous now, are you?”
“The two of you plotted that.”
They both left the bathroom far too amused with themselves.
**
The spa closed at lunch so I could get everything set up for the donation seminar and demonstration. Darby and I spent the afternoon setting up chairs and brochures in the waiting area. Normally the lights were kept very dim in this room, so turning on all of the overhead lights made it look unnaturally bright. Sylvia joined us a little while before the seminar was scheduled to start, and Darby beamed at her.
“Hello, Sylvia,” I greeted warmly.
“Hello, girls,” she chimed. Again, she was dressed very tastefully in a long-sleeved maxi dress with a delicate floral print. The neckline was a low V that showed off her dark complexion but not so low to call attention to herself. My mother walked in soon after, and as I expected, she hit it off very well with Sylvia. She and Darby and Mom all took their seats and started chatting.
About an hour before the seminar was supposed to start, people started arriving. Joletta and her crowd soon made their appearance. I started prepping the refreshment table and soon had to begin restocking things as the room got more and more crowded. Sylvia touched my shoulder. “Are there more chairs?”
I looked around to find every seat filled with people still making their way through the door.
“Goodness.”
Sylvia laughed. “They aren’t missing the chance to see this dear.”
I smiled at her. “Guess not. Yeah, come with me. There are more.”
She helped me get the rest of the chairs that I had in the shop and set them up. When it was time to begin, there were still people standing in the back or sitting on the floor in the front. Felix and Mac both came through the door and stood in the back. I made eye contact with both of them and got smiles before I stepped over to the microphone stand.
“Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming tonight. What we are going over today is something Steiner has never seen before. Tonight, I want you to learn about the process of donation and the benefits of being one of the donors. First up, I want to introduce you to one of our newly arrived resident vampires and one that will be utilizing the donation services. Please welcome Sylvia.”
The crowd all clapped as Sylvia stood and gracefully walked to the microphone.
“Hello, everyone. I’m already in love with Steiner and all the other small towns around it. Rozalyn and Darby have been so sweet to befriend me and make me feel welcome. I’m here to talk about the process of donation.”
At this point I activated a PowerPoi
nt presentation where Sylvia went through information about how much blood a normal person had, how much was used for a donation, and what supplements someone in the program should take.
“Are there any questions?”
“Does it hurt?”
Sylvia replied in a very friendly voice, “Speaking for myself, I will not take a donation from someone that I cannot enchant with my abilities, and I think that will be true of any of the vampires that live here. It can hurt if you are resistant to those enchantments, and Rozalyn will not allow someone that cannot be enchanted to be a part of the program. Next question?”
“I think we’ve all heard the rumors about the enchantment being, well, arousal. Does it have to be this?”
“No. The feeding enchantment is going to depend on the donor. I’ve had a wide variety in my time as a vampire. I’ve gotten everything from someone napping to someone singing the whole time.”
Joletta raised her hand, and I held my breath, “What about sexuality, dear? Is it not weird to have an intimate experience with a female vampire if you are heterosexual?”
I exhaled. That hadn’t been so bad.
Sylvia was the epitome of confidence as she responded, “It is definitely something you have to consider for yourself and what you are comfortable with. In my experience, my straight female donors view it as a relaxation technique like getting a massage.”
She took a few more questions before Mac walked up to the microphone and started going over the financial benefits of donations. However, Felix had walked with him to the front since it was getting closer to the time that Mac would demonstrate a feeding with me. Once Felix and Mac were standing there in front of everyone, most of the women in the crowd had stopped hearing what was being said. There were whispers and laughs as they made jokes about having either one of them bite them.
When Mac asked if there were any questions, a bold woman in the back called out “Are you on the menu, honey?”
The entire crowd broke out into laughter as Mac leaned into the microphone and simply replied, “Yes, ma’am.”
Darby and I had to cover our mouths with our hands to stop giggling at all these middle-aged house=wives going on and on about Mac.
After the noise died down, Mac continued, explaining the donations would happen at his residence and not here at the spa. He explained the security that would be provided and that donors could also spend the day using the recreation facilities at the house, like the pool and bar area, although drinking was only allowed after the recovery period after feeding was completed.
“Now, the big question on everyone’s mind is what will a feeding be like, right?” Everyone in the crowd nodded their heads.
“Our lovely host and owner of this delightful spa has agreed to show you all how easy the donations are. Rozalyn, if you will join me?”
The crowd applauded as I walked up to the front. There was a chair beside the microphone stand, and Mac motioned for me to have a seat in it. Sylvia got the microphone so she could walk them through it. The room was loud as everyone shifted around so they could see.
“All right, can everyone see?” Sylvia asked. “Great. Now you’ll see here that donations are generally done at the neck. Mac is cleaning the skin.”
He used an antiseptic wipe on my neck gently then waited as the liquid dried. Then he tilted my head to the side and hovered his face close to my neck. Felix stepped up on the other side of me so I could make eye contact with him. I gave him a faint smile.
Sylvia continued as Mac extended his fangs. “Before contact with the skin is made, the feeding enchantment begins.”
Mac whispered against my ear, “Ready?”
I nodded.
Then my mind grew fuzzy, and I was instantly aroused. I sucked in a breath. I was still aware of what was going on around me, but it was as if I was drugged and aroused at the same time. When his fangs pierced my skin, it was only pleasurable, and I moaned quietly. That first strong suck of blood from my throat was like he was sucking in between my legs. I arched upward, my face lost into the sensation of it, and in front of my momma and the entire town I grew up in, I cried out in pleasure. The second time he sucked at my neck was harder, and I rushed over the peak of my arousal that quickly. My body writhed in the chair as Mac held my head still. Then suddenly, he jerked away, and Felix grasped his shoulder.
Felix leaned down to whisper next to my ear as I fought to get my breathing back under control after my climax. “I love that look on your face, my pet.”
It made me laugh as Sylvia started to clean the remaining blood off my neck.
The crowd looked stunned as Felix rushed Mac out of the room. Then the bold lady in the back loudly asked, “Well, where do we sign up at?”
Darby stood and started instructing everyone who wanted to participate to follow her back out to the lobby so she could get their information. The vast majority of the crowd started to follow her.
I had regained my composure by then, and I looked up at Sylvia, “Wow.”
She laughed. “Yeah. It is a nice arrangement. Both sides get some nice benefits.”
“What about Mac?”
“They left. I don’t really know more than that. I’m not linked to either of them.”I nodded and it made my head swim. “I feel a little light-headed, Sylvia.”
She waited a moment until everyone had cleared out of the room then leaned down closer. “Mac took a little more than he was supposed to. He lost control for that second drink. Brinna is going to get you back to his house.”
I didn’t even know the angel was here. She was suddenly in front of me and grasping my hand. The world around us brightened until I had to shut my eyes. There was a moment of weightlessness, then the lights dimmed and we appeared on the lawn in front of Mac’s house.
Felix and Mac were standing a few feet away from them. Mac’s emerald eyes were glowing a demonic yellow in the darkness. I swayed unsteadily, but Brinna had a grip on my arm.
“Is Roz okay?” Felix asked.
“Yes, she will just need to sleep it off for a few hours.”
“Mac? Are you okay?” I asked weakly.
He smiled widely. “Better than okay. I feel incredible.”
“You feel like Felix now.”
Felix nodded. “The power is very similar, but it has already started to fade.”
“Your blood, Roz,” I could feel power build as Mac spoke, “is a treasure.” He jerked his arm up toward Felix, and a streak of red lightning exploded from his hand. Felix easily defended the attack and flexed his arms, grinning at Mac. Then they both started slinging attacks at each other. Bright flashes of lightning surrounded them, the earth rumbling in between their laughs and taunts.
Brinna was the first to notice Jason and Tate walk out of the house. She pulled me closer against her. Felix had just caught one of the balls of electricity Mac had shot at him and noticed Tate there. He stopped and lifted up his hand to greet them. When Tate made eye contact with him, he ran.
Felix looked at Brinna and shouted, “Get her inside!”
As Brinna was transporting us again, I saw Felix, Mac and Jason chase after the fleeing vampire. My vision blurred into the bright lights of her magic. When my vision cleared again, I was sitting on the edge of Mac’s bed. Brinna’s eyes were still a luminescent blue when I looked at her.
“Lie back on the bed,” she said softly, helping me scoot back onto the pillows. Then she placed her hand on my forehead.
“Why did he run?”
She shook her head at me.
“I will make you sleep now. Ask your questions when you wake.”
A peaceful spring breeze surrounded me as I faded off to sleep.
Whispering voices stirred me out of my sleep. I opened my eyes and found that the room was still dark except for some light that came from the bathroom. Two figures stood close together talking at the end of the bed. After one shifted their weight to the side, the light hit Darby’s face enough for me to tell it was her. Then I realized t
he other person was Sylvia just as she leaned in and tenderly cupped Darby’s face and kissed her. My heart leapt in excitement, and I sat up.
Sylvia heard me move and jumped back. I pulled my knees up to my chest and laid my hands on them. “Soooo…” I propped my chin on top of my hands and grinned at them. Darby’s face had turned as red as her hair. I sighed happily. “Y’all make the prettiest couple.”
Sylvia smiled, but I could see the hesitation on Darby’s face. I held out my hand to her and sat back up. “Darb? What is it?”
She stepped forward and took my hand, sliding down on the bed. “I don’t know. I was afraid of what you might think.”
“About you being gay?” She nodded silently and I frowned at her. “There is nothing for me to think about. Sexual orientation is just part of you, like you have red hair and you’re a cover hog.”
“I am not.”
I pointed to Sylvia, who instantly replied, “Yes, you very much are.”
Darby rolled her eyes but looked back at me earnestly. “No. I guess I’m worried that you’re going to think all these years of us living together that I was, I don’t know, hitting on you.”
I considered it briefly before responding. “If you were, I never noticed, and I’m sorry if that ever hurt your feelings.”
She shook her head. “No. I knew you were straight and still in love with Mac.”
I gasped, “Mac! What happened?”
Sylvia sat down on the edge of the bed with us. “Yeah, so. Mac had a pretty intense reaction to it. It made him high, pretty much, and he had powers a lot like Felix there for a little while. It lasted several hours. Felix was finally able to use power over him about an hour ago and put him into repose.”
I hesitated, wondering if Sylvia didn’t know about Tate running away or if I had just dreamed that.“They are both okay?”
“Yes,” Felix said from the doorway, and we all turned to look at him. He slid into the bed, and I was relieved to be pulled into his arms. Darby and Sylvia started to get up, and he motioned for them to stay.